Online role-plays

I'm excited after our experience with this online role-play to try this in the future. I've often had online discussions with my students where they've had the opportunity to give their own reactions to a topic and then react to each other, but I can see where this would be more effective in a role-play format. Students are often reluctant to share an opinion if they realize the public sentiment is against them. In my CIS Literature class right now, we've been discussing the poetry of Billy Collins and Mary Oliver. Though most students seem to prefer Collins' work, there are a few who feel differently. When they're writing under their own names on the class wiki, however, they don't necessarily feel comfortable speaking in favor of Mary Oliver (this discussion is viewable at http://msjohnsonwiki.pbworks.com/Poems+we+like).

In class I've often used face-to-face debate to discuss issues like this; these debates are most often successful when I assign students roles randomly. Even when the students don't necessarily agree with the side they're assigned, they often get caught up in the spirit of the discussion. Though I enjoy these classtime activities--as do the students--I think a supplemental online component would be really effective. There are always students who are unable to join in the class discussion for various reasons; sometimes their peers are simply too vocal to allow others to participate. In my own life, I've found that there is no better way to strengthen my own arguments and feelings about issues than to research the opposition's position. This is a valuable skill for students to gain and for us to teach.

Taking up a role that is different than my own position in our role play really helped me to solidify my own opinions. My role of Miss Frizzle thought that Google is, indeed, making us dumb. There are certainly several facets to this issue and my personal opinion, but, in the end, my position is the opposite. Through my teaching, I've found that the difference between truly successful students and those who merely get by often shows in the ability to use resources when available. Students who believe that Google (or other popular search engines) can give them every answer will never understand the subtleties that govern many-faceted issues like this one. They're looking for the easy, "right" answer that they believe is what the teacher wants. Students who truly feel an intellectual curiosity to learn may begin with Google and find some information very quickly. They will also, however, realize that searching out opposing viewpoints is equally important. It is rare when the first answer found is the only possible one.